Pohamba wants more from pupils

PRESIDENT Hifikepunye Pohamba praised rural schools for their latest academic performance after they outshone urban schools with the most top-performing pupils in last year’s Grade 12 examinations.

He admitted, however, that improvements have to be made to the study environment at rural schools, especially infrastructure.The President, speaking at the national award ceremony for last year’s Grade 12s, also lashed out at unprincipled behaviour of some pupils towards their educators, saying certain ‘learners are challenging teachers and some want to beat up their teachers – because nothing will happen to them.’He appealed to pupils to change their behaviour and also urged parents to take responsibility in instilling discipline at home.About the health status of Education Minister Abraham Iyambo, who has not been seen in public this year, Pohamba said the minister is on prolonged leave as requested by his doctor.Speaking at the same occasion, Deputy Education Minister David Namwandi said unannounced school inspections will continue. The surprise visits made by the minister last year received positive and negative response from those in the education sector.Namwandi also instructed that every pupil under 17 years old who failed Grade 10 last year should be allowed to repeat the grade.The chief executive officer of Letshego Namibia, Willem Steenkamp, said the involvement of the private sector in the education sector will help make a difference.Steenkamp recalled an incident 20 years ago, when he was a subject advisor. He said he was visiting a rural school at Khorixas and he saw a grade one teacher with his class under a camelthorn tree, teaching the children to write in the sand. ‘This teacher did not shy way from his duty to teach because of a lack of a classroom, or a blackboard, or chalk. He did not complain about the curriculum, the language of instruction, or whatever the reason is nowadays used to try to explain the underachievement of our learners,’ he said.